Before installing: Uninstall the old version first so the init system (initramfs) gets updated correctly. Installing over an existing version will keep the old VM kernel and init script.
Hotfix: Boot stage indicator stuck at "Almost ready" even after the VM finished booting.
The MOTD is small enough to arrive in a single read buffer alongside the internet check line. The when block matched "internet " first and never evaluated "podman run". Fixed by checking the Ready condition first in the detection logic.